Public Schools - Laramie County School District

Chronicle
Public Schools’
December 2014
Volume 23, Issue 2
ONLINE
The Laramie County School District 1 Report to Stakeholders | Cheyenne, Wyoming
Priceless
presents
See Page 5
2 • December 2014
Public Schools’ Chronicle
Laramie County School District 1 hosted a community meeting Monday, Dec. 1 regarding middle-level education. Consultant Dr. Mike Muir and his team spoke about best practices and garnered input to help the district focus in this area. —Photo by Dr. Tracey Kinney
District explores mid-level education alternatives
A
dolescents—they’re not
young children any more,
yet they can’t be classified
as adults. Caught somewhere in
between, each child matures at a
different rate and each has his or
her own unique needs. According to Dr. Tracey Kinney, Laramie
County School District 1’s assistant
superintendent of instruction,
these needs also extend to a child’s
education.
Recently, district administrators
brought a team of middle-level
education experts to Cheyenne
to discuss the issue with teachers, principals, administrators and
community members.
“Through our focus on junior
high student performance and
achievement, we’ve had several
concerns we need to address,” Kinney said. “It was evident we weren’t
looking at a middle-level learner to
the level that we should be.”
“There is a traditional dip in
achievement at the junior high
level nationwide, and we are actually below that dip,” LCSD1 Superintendent John Lyttle said. “We are
researching best practices, looking
at school districts that have made
the most difference and trying to
look at other approaches with an
open mind.”
Kinney explained the district
will be focusing on students in
fifth through eighth grade with an
eye to fourth and ninth grade as
this encompasses the spectrum of
learning in this area.
“What we found is our pedagogies and methodologies don’t
always align to the developmental
level of that unique learner,” she
said. “In seventh grade sometimes
we start treating them like mini
high school students.”
According to Dave Bartlett,
LCSD1 assistant superintendent
of support operations, for the past
three years, the district has brought
in experts to work with teachers
on the issue. Following a Middle
Level Education Summit in 2011,
a large group from the district attended the National Middle School
Conference to glean ideas. He explained, when consultant Dr. Mike
Muir and his team visited LCSD1
the first week of December, it was
to readdress the issue.
“Last year we had an expert
working with teachers so this
year we wanted to give principals
a resource as well,” Bartlett said.
“They’ve started implementing
these middle-level practices already
and we felt like bringing Mike
Muir and his team in provided that
extra layer of support to help the
principals guide those changes in
the classroom.”
Bartlett explained these practices include creating core teaching teams at all of the junior high
schools. Thus, math, language arts,
social studies and science teachers
“core” together to teach the same
group of 100 students in a school.
This allows them to meet regularly
to discuss student progress, get to
know their students and ensure
their success.
“Really it’s about relationships
and not allowing kids to fail,”
Bartlett said. “Teachers become
advocates for their students.”
Kinney and Bartlett explained
the consultants began their work
with a community meeting during
which they gathered input. In addition, they have met with the junior
high principals to find out what
is working and what isn’t. Next,
they will help the district develop a
shared vision for middle-level education that will include a short list
of non-negotiable items all junior
highs must adhere to.
Bartlett explained this middlelevel programming and vision is
key to designing new school facilities as the district is about about
halfway complete with the design
of Meadowlark Elementary, which
is slated to be the district’s first
5–6 grade configuration school. In
addition, planning and design for
the Carey Junior High building is
slated to begin during the second
semester.
“Too often, education is delivered and we don’t even notice just
how much the building structure
is facilitating or hindering learning
opportunities for students,” Kinney said. “In this instance we have
the opportunity to design schools
around our educational programming.”
She added: “Regardless of
construction and facilities we
should be doing this. We should be
considering how we’re teaching our
young people.”
Bartlett said: “If you look at education in general, it’s apparent that
it’s not one-size-fits all. You have to
tailor it to the needs of the individual and what stage of development
they are in.”
—Text by Mary Quast
Public Schools’ Chronicle December 2014 • 3
Dildine ‘Stone Soup’ lessons teach students compassion
T
hanksgiving is a
day for families
to come together
to enjoy a great meal,
to give thanks and be
grateful for everything
they have. Before Dildine
Elementary second-graders in Kelsie Dunning’s
classroom went on their
Thanksgiving break, they
invited parents and relatives to join them in their
classroom for a special
program.
Upon entering the
room, one could smell
a delicious soup, which
must have been cooking
all day. Further, the kids’
faces were filled with anticipation and some were
nervous. The children
were about to put on a
play inspired by the book
“Stone Soup.”
The story is about a
perfect stranger coming
into a village looking for
refuge and a warm meal.
After being turned
down by everyone, he
said: “I have everything I
need. In fact, I was thinking about making some
stone soup to share with
all of you.”
The stranger dropped
a rock in a pot of boiling water and asked for
various ingredients to
add to the soup. One by
one, the villagers brought
the items. In the end, the
stone soup was more than
enough to feed them all,
whereas all the separate
ingredients would have
left the villagers and the
stranger hungry. The villagers believed the stone
possessed magical powers, which was not true
because the true magic
involved how people put
away their differences
and came together to feed
everybody.
As the students acted
out the story, they never
lost eye contact with their
families. Mothers, fathers
and other relatives smiled
back at them.
“Basically the story
is about people coming
together and sharing everything that they have to
make a hopeless situation
full of hope,” Dunning
said.
In order to prepare for
the play, students studied
different versions of the
original text across different cultures, she said.
The students read a monk
version, an animal version, an American soldier
version and the original
version. The activity fits
into the district’s reading
GVC because students
compared and contrasted
various versions found in
different cultures.
Students not only studied the stories, but also
came together to make
their soup. Each one of
them brought a food item
for it, just like the people
in the village.
At the end of the
performance, students
received a standing ovation. Then they voiced
their thanks.
“I am thankful for my
family and my school,”
one student said.
“I am thankful for my
family and Mrs. Dunning,” another one said.
“I am thankful for my
family coming together
for Thanksgiving and
for stone soup,” the last
student said.
Finally, it was time to
taste the stone soup the
students had made. They
were more than eager to
share it with their families. Laughter, chatter and
the aroma of soup filled
the room while students
sat with their families
and ate.
“It was wonderful that
we were invited to come
and have stone soup
together,” a student’s
grandmother said. “It was
enough food to feed the
village.”
Many students happily
discussed their favorite
parts of the story with
their families and what
they had learned from
reading it.
“The story is a great fit
for Thanksgiving because
it is about sharing and
coming together,” Dunning said. —Photos &
text by Susann Robbins
Left: Dunning’s second graders made stone
soup for their parents and families.
Right: The students read these versions
of Stone Soup among others throughout
the lesson.
In this
issue
4 District
Profile
5 Arp presents
6 Rossman robots
7 Junior
Leadership
8 Sunrise weather
9 Alta Vista
10 South HS art
11 Central HS
12 Henderson
13 Hebard
history
14 Baggs new principal
The mother of a student enjoys her stone soup after the classroom presentation of the
story.
15 East pantry
16 Johnson SRO
17 Partners in Learning
18 State of the District
19 Merry Christmas
4 • December 2014
Public Schools’ Chronicle
Mathews shares his passion for music
ries. He also taught at Carey Junior High and
East High.
“I love all three levels,” Mathews said. “Then
our program became such that I only needed
to teach at the secondary schools.”
Mathews’ favorite quote was spoken by
Gene Kranz, a retired flight director for NASA.
When questioned whether saving the crew
of Apollo 13 would be a failure, Kranz said:
“No, this will be our greatest triumph because
failure is not an option.”
“That is what I tell my students,” Mathews
said. “Failure is not an option. I will not let you
fail.”
Mathews’ children are also musically
inclined. His namesake, Robert Mathews III,
is a computer specialist and project development manager for Northrup Grumman and he
holds a music degree. Daughter Lori majored
in music in college. She has a private studio in Cheyenne and teaches music students. Additionally, she is one of the assistant directors of the All City Children’s Choir.
“My kids grew up playing fiddle with me,” Mathews said. “I have four grandchildren
and they all play fiddle, too.”
“Fiddles on the Range,” is a musical group he and his family started. Debbie plays guitar and Mathews and their children play violins. Music must run in their veins, because
their second group is a country western band called “Country Club.”
Mathews began to write music for his junior high and high school orchestras to play
because he wasn’t able to find the type he wanted for them. He also writes music for
Strolling Strings, East High’s chamber orchestra group.
At the urging of colleagues, he pursued having some of his work published so other
school districts could enjoy the compositions. Recently, Mathews won a contest for some
music he sent to the Texas Orchestra Directors Association (TODA).
“It made me feel kind of special,” Mathews commented about his achievement.
Along with his musical accomplishments, Mathews is a ham radio operator and holds a
private pilot’s license. Yet passion for his family and music remain constant.
“I try to tell my students I hope their family is the most important thing. And I consider my students my extended family. Without them, I’d be nothing.”
—Photo & text by Cindy Keen Reynders
district
PROFILE
T
his Laramie County School District 1 orchestra
teacher considers himself “homegrown,” even
though he was born in Boise, Idaho. He explained
his father worked construction and his family moved
frequently to be with him.
Robert Mathews said: “We left Idaho for about 10
months and went back east for my dad to work on a big
job. When that finished up, we headed back to Idaho, but
we stopped in Cheyenne on the way. On the suggestion of
my dad’s friend, we stayed.”
Mathews said he attended Lebhart and Buffalo Ridge
elementary schools, then Carey Junior High and graduated from East High. “They were almost new buildings at
that time,” he said with a chuckle.
Mathews attended the University of Wyoming and said
he initially pursued an education degree. “Then I changed
to a performance major, but changed back to education at
the end of my first year,” he added. “I almost killed myself
making up the courses I’d missed.”
Mathews met his wife, Debbie, while they both attended
UW. Currently, she teaches music and band at Dildine
Elementary, where she has remained for most of her 36
years with the district. Debbie is also an All City Children’s
Choir director.
“It was love at first sight,” Mathews said with a smile
when he discussed meeting his wife, “though I had to
convince her of that.”
Upon graduation with his bachelor’s degree in music
education, he discovered a music position at East High
had opened up—the same job his former music teacher
had held.
“I wanted the job in the worst way, and I’ve never
wanted any other job,” Mathews emphasized. “It was my
first job and it will be my last job.”
For 36 years, he has been a music instructor for LCSD1.
During his initial 21 years with the district, he taught at
Eastridge, Bain, Baggs, Dildine and Anderson elementa-
LARAMIE COUNTY
SCHOOL DISTRICT 1
John Lyttle
Superintendent of Schools
Dr. Tracey Kinney
Assistant Superintendent of Instruction
Matt Strannigan
Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources
David Bartlett
Assistant Superintendent of Support Operations
Dr. Marc LaHiff
Director of Instruction
Brent Young
Assistant Director of Instruction/School Improvement
Alice Hunter
Director of Special Services
J.P. Denning
Assistant Director of Special Services
Gordon Knopp
Director of Technology
Board of Trustees
Sandy Shanor • Chairman
Lynn Storey-Huylar • Vice Chairman
Mark Klaassen • Clerk
Marguerite Herman • Assistant Clerk
Tim Bolin • Treasurer
Jim Landen • Assistant Treasurer
Nate Breen • Trustee
Dave Evans • District Counsel
Darlene Davis • Executive Secretary to
Board of Trustees & Superintendent of Schools
Cheyenne Schools Foundation
Jim Yates • President
TBA • Vice President
Sheryl Fanning • Secretary
Robert Dahill • Treasurer
Sheryl Fanning, Sue Riske,
Cathy Ellis, Marguerite Herman,
Pat Moore • Grants Chairpersons
Chronicle
Public Schools’
Mary Quast
Editor in Chief • Design Director
Cindy Keen Reynders
Advertising Manager • Contributing Editor
Susann Robbins
Contributing Editor
The Public Schools’ Chronicle is the bi-monthly
magapaper of Laramie County School
District 1, published five times a year as a
report to parents and the community at large.
Letters to the editor or requests for permission
to copy material may be submitted to Mary
Quast, Community Relations Director. For print
advertising information contact Cindy Keen
Reynders in the LCSD1 Community Relations
Office, 2810 House Ave., Cheyenne, WY 82001,
or call (307) 771-2192, [FAX 771-2252]. As
a nonprofit publication, advertising revenue
from the printed version is used to pay for
printing costs. All pre-press production,
including writing and photography, is
done by Community Relations’ office staff
unless otherwise attributed. All material is
copyrighted and may not be reproduced for
distribution without permission. The printed
Public Schools’ Chronicle is direct mailed to all
Cheyenne area residences and businesses and
has a circulation of 43,000.
Circulation: 43,000 © 2014
The State of Wyoming provides Hathaway Merit
and Needs-based Scholarships to Wyoming
students attending the University of Wyoming
and Wyoming Community Colleges. Every
student who meets the merit requirements can
earn a Hathaway Merit Scholarship. Contact
your school counselor for more information.
Public Schools’ Chronicle December 2014 • 5
Arp Elementary students learn
value of ‘priceless presents’
A
ccording to Merriam-Webster’s
Dictionary, priceless means,
“having a value beyond any
price.”
This concept is sometimes difficult
for children to understand and even
harder for parents to teach.
One December day, Lisa Hurd
stood at the front of her second-grade
classroom at Arp Elementary. Students
sat on the carpet facing her with their
listening ears on.
“Yesterday you guys brainstormed
four people you would like to give
priceless presents to and what these
presents could be,” Hurd said. “Today,
we are starting the writing process,
with you picking one person to receive
a present.”
Hurd asked, “What are priceless
presents?”
“It is a present only I can give,” a boy
said.
“It is a present that doesn’t cost any
money,” a little girl chimed in.
“That is right. Who will you give
your priceless present to?” Hurd asked.
“I want to cook dinner for my mom
because she always cooks dinner for
us,” one boy said.
“I want to clean my room really well
for my mom, because right now it is a
mess,” another boy added.
“I want to give my cousin a really big
hug,” a little girl said.
“Those are all great ideas and today
you will be writing an opinion piece
about your priceless presents,” Hurd
said.
For the fourth year in a row, as part
of her writing unit in December, Hurd
taught her students about the meaning
of priceless presents.
“Priceless presents are there to teach
the students what it really means to
give a gift from the heart for a special
person in their lives,” Hurd said.
Further, the unit is tied to the curriculum because students learn how to
write opinion pieces as well as instructional (how-to) pieces, she added.
Hurd started the unit by sharing about
a priceless present she received from
a student years ago. She had helped
the student with her math homework
and in return, the student wrote her a
thank you note with a picture.
“I always tell the students it was one
of the best gifts I have ever received,”
Hurd said. “It is a priceless present and
it means a lot to me.”
During this year’s unit, the students
read different books to help them
understand the subject and to help
spark ideas about what they could do.
Two of these books were “How full is
your bucket? For Kids” and “Christmas
without a Tree.”
The first book gave examples of
simple things the students could do to
brighten everyone’s day and it applied
to the schools’ Olweus program as
well, Hurd said. The second book was
about a determined little pig, Charlie
that set out to bring Christmas to his
neighbor Grumpy Gramps. In return,
Grumpy Gramps made a small sleigh
for Charlie because the pig dropped off
everything on a makeshift sleigh made
out of the top of a trash can
While reading the book in class,
Hurd asked the students various questions. As part of their assignment, she
asked what they had learned about
adjectives.
“Were there any priceless presents in
the story?” Hurd asked.
“Yes!” yelled the students all at once.
“What were those priceless presents?” Hurd asked.
“The wreath was a priceless present,”
a girl said.
“The cookies were priceless presents,” a boy said.
“The tree with little presents,” two
boys answered at once.
“What happened to Grumpy
Gramps?” Hurd asked.
“He wasn’t grumpy anymore,” all the
students answered.
“How do you know he changed?”
Hurd asked.
“Because he dressed up as Santa
Claus and brought Charlie a present,”
the boys and girls said.
After that, the students were off to
write their own opinion pieces about
the person they chose for a priceless
present.
“Remember your priceless present
might not be completely free of cost
to you but it is a gift from the heart,
which is the best kind of gift,” Hurd
said.
—Photos & text by Susann Robbins
Arp Elementary second-grade students raise their hands to answer their teacher, Lisa Hurd’s question, “Were there priceless presents in the
story?”
A student starts on her opinion piece for that special person in her life.
6 • December 2014
Public Schools’ Chronicle
Rossman students hone their robotics, programming skills
A
nticipation was in the air as the lights of the
racetrack changed from red, to double yellow, to
green.
In a hallway at Rossman Elementary, students eagerly
gathered to watch their robots roll over a black racetrack.
“Go, go, go, push the button,” one student encouraged
the other.
The other student pushed the button on a robot and the
group watched to see if they had succeeded at building
and programming a racing robot.
“The robots had to start, shift gears at the first line,
shift gears again at the second line and brake at the final
line in order for the students to successfully complete the
race track challenge,” said STARBASE staff member Mike
Nowotny.
Nowotny and several other STARBASE members
volunteer to assist Rossman fifth-grade teacher Nancy
Blomberg who organizes the school’s robotics club.
Along with Rossman, several schools within Laramie County School District 1 now offer a robotics club
including Pioneer Park, Saddle Ridge and Johnson Junior
High.
The idea for the clubs came from fifth-grade students
after they attended STARBASE and learned about robotics. Their suggestions sparked last summer’s Fear Factor
Camp at STARBASE as a way for students to continue
with their passion for robots. The camp had a great
turnout, which prompted the idea of establishing robotics
clubs at schools in order to give students a way to hone
their skills, Blomberg said.
“We offer membership in the club to students based on
their MAP scores,” Blomberg said.
Rossman Elementary students program their robot in order to finish their robot drag race.
Blomberg reviewed Rossman’s top 20 fifth- and sixthgrade students’ scores in MAP math testing and asked if
they would like to join the robotics club. She teaches two
classes of 18 students. Each class contains a mix of fifthand sixth-graders.
Last May, Blomberg applied for and received an ITEST
grant from the University of Wyoming. It enabled her to
attend classes for eight weeks, preparing her to establish
the robotics club. She has developed several programs for
the students to use in order to further their learning in all
the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math)
areas.
“The children learn more than STEM as they are put
together in groups and need to work together,” Blomberg
said. “Students also learn to deal with trial-and-error situations as well as solving problems.”
Huddled around in their groups, students discussed
where they were in the process of having their robots’
racetrack ready.
“I think we are done and ready to win the race,” one
student said to his group.
“Yes, our robots have done everything perfectly,” another student agreed.
“Let’s add some extra things like faces and comments
to our robots so they can celebrate when they cross the
finish line,” a student chimed in.
“The students worked really hard together to finish
their challenges and picked up quickly on what needed to
be done,” Blomberg said.
“I think it is really cool that our kids have the opportunity to practice their mathematical skills in a more
creative way,” Rossman Principal Maurice Darnell said.
Mike Nowotny from STARBASE explains to teacher Nancy Blomberg how the race track
works for the robot drag races.
“They are using an application they really enjoy, which
allows them to push their skills further.”
—Photos & text by Susann Robbins
Public Schools’ Chronicle December 2014 • 7
Program helps unlock potential
Laramie County juniors gain leadership skills
L
eadership ability exists within everyone. The goal is learning how to
unlock that potential.
According to Linda Davenport, Junior
Leadership of Laramie County chairperson, that is a fundamental belief held by
the program’s steering committee.
“Junior Leadership is a program that
was started by the 1999–2000 Leadership
Cheyenne Class,” said Davenport, who is
also Pinnacle Bank’s president. “It is offered
to all juniors attending high school in
Laramie County, including home-schooled
students. It is ideal for individuals who do
not have experience in leading.”
Davenport explained students go
through six, fast-paced days designed to be
educational and fun. The program provides
an educational and participatory experience for personal growth. It gives students
opportunities to learn more about the
county, community resources, leadership
skills and civic trusteeship.
So far this year, Junior Leadership students have attended three sessions. In September, they learned about team building
by taking part in a ropes challenge course.
In October, they studied local culture and
tourism. They visited museums, took a
back stage tour of the Cheyenne Civic Center and stopped by playhouses throughout
town.
November featured Career Day. Students
toured Laramie County Community College (LCCC) and heard about college and
career opportunities. They also learned
about resume writing, interview and conversational skills, workplace diversity and
employer expectations.
While on a break that day, a Central
High student commented he had enjoyed
everything he’d learned so far. He added:
“Today has really opened my eyes to what I
want to do when I get out of high school.”
Another girl, who said she is home
schooled, said she wants to be a teacher.
“I think teaching sounds fantastic. This
program has helped me see how I can accomplish that.”
In January, participants will learn about
the local legal system. They will tour the
county jail and court facilities. Additionally
they will participate in a police ride-along
and talk to Laramie County leaders.
In February, students will spend a day
learning about the Wyoming State Legislature and will meet with lobbyists and
agency directors. They will also learn how
a bill makes its way through the House and
the Senate.
March will feature a military day where
students learn how Warren Air Force Base,
along with the Army and Air National
Guard, influence our community. They will
tour military installations and learn about
career opportunities.
April marks the end of their experience,
and students will celebrate by attending a
graduation ceremony and a dinner.
Maryellen Tast, who is a Junior Leadership Board of Directors member, said the
program mirrors Leadership Cheyenne,
but it is geared toward high school juniors.
“It’s an amazing program and we have
a great steering committee,” Tast commented. “Selected juniors from county
high schools come together for a number
of sessions.”
Tast, who is dean of LCCC’s Outreach
and Workforce Department, coordinated
November’s Junior Leadership Career Day.
She said students are able to explore careers
they have never even thought of and they
get the chance to talk to different professionals in various career fields.
“Several years ago, a girl came here and
was certain she wanted to get into a dental
career,” Tast said. “After she took a tour
of the dental lab and participated in an
examination, she changed her mind. When
the patient opened his mouth, the girl
realized this career was not for her. I asked
her if she still wanted to get into a dental
career. The girl said, ‘Absolutely not.’ ”
Tast said students also get an idea about
the future of different careers that interest
them. They are able to determine what type
of yearly salary it generates and if it fits into
the lifestyle they would like to have.
To wrap up Career Day, Tast helped
students understand how to prepare for
college.
Michelle Bolkovatz, Warren Federal
Credit Union community relations director
and Junior Leadership Board member, said
she is pleased how the Cheyenne community stands behind our youth. She added
the program would not exist without the
people who volunteer to keep it alive.
Additionally, business owners are quick to
offer discounts. That helps tremendously
since the program doesn’t receive any
formal funding.
“The only thing we ask for is $75 from
students who apply,” Bolkovatz said. “We
feel the students are our future leaders and
this program allows young people to grow
and realize their dreams.”
To learn more about Junior Leadership
of Laramie County or to download the
application, individuals can go to http://
laramiecountyleadership.org/.
—Photos & text by Cindy Keen Reynders
On LCCC’s Career Day, community members taught Junior Leadership students about various careers.
Students toured LCCC’s dental lab on Career Day.
Students also toured LCCC’s wind energy lab.
8 • December 2014
Public Schools’ Chronicle
Students learn about weather
A
ny Wyoming native knows the weather can
change within a week, a day or even an hour.
“In order to raise awareness to weather changes
and weather in general in Laramie County School District
1, it is part of the science GVC in third grade,” said Sunrise
Elementary third-grade teacher Alice Haskins.
During a nice fall day in late October, all third-graders at
the school received a special weather lesson by two meteorologists from the National Weather Service in Cheyenne.
The lesson began with Richard Emanual and Robert Cox
introducing themselves as they set up the props for that
days’ lesson.
“We are going to talk about pressure today and we will
demonstrate how it works,” Cox said.
“The atmosphere above us actually holds a lot of weight,”
Emanual said. “Do you know how much weight you are
holding right now because of pressure?”
“Let’s say your hands are about 10 square inches and at
our elevation the air pressure is about 13 pounds per square
inch,” Cox said. “How much is that multiplied?”
“That’s 130,” a boy said.
“That’s right. You are holding up 130 pounds with each of
your hands,” Cox said. “Did you know that?”
The students shook their heads and looked at their hands
in amazement. Cox explained that pressure works with
directions. While it may push down with 130 pounds it also
pushes up with 130 pounds, which equals out things, therefore the students were not feeling any effect of the pressure.
At the beginning of the lesson, Cox and Emanual demonstrated how pressure works by blowing up a bag with one
breath, balancing a ping-pong ball on the hot airstream of
a hair dryer and blowing it through a pipe. Next up were
Sunrise Elementary third-grade students ask questions about pressure and how it affects them.
demonstrations of natural hazards like hail and tornadoes.
Students learned the biggest ever-recorded piece of hail was
the size of a cantaloupe.
In amazement, they watched the demonstration of how
a tornado forms in the simulator. Students got to take turns
with the simulator to gain a better understanding. They
learned Wyoming is the fifth windiest place in the United
States with Mount Washington in New Hampshire being the
windiest. Further, most of Wyoming’s wind happens in the
winter, Cox added.
“This is a great and fun way to cement what we are teaching in the classroom,” Haskins said.
Having demonstrations in the classrooms and making
trips to the Paul Smith Children’s Village helps teachers
share the subjects at hand in a way that engages the students,
she added.
“The lessons from the National Weather Service as well as
from the Paul Smith Children’s Village are aligned with the
Common Core and serve as a great extension to classroom
teachings,” Haskins said.
The lesson ended with a pressure demonstration. Students
were asked to put empty Dixie cups on their heads as they
sat on the floor. Emanual pulled up a trash can, which was
covered with a trash bag on one end and had a hole in the
other end.
“This serves as a demonstration that pressure can also
travel,” he said.
As he clapped on the trash-bag-covered side of the trash
can, air came out the front and blew the cups off the students’ heads in the first row. Loud cheers filled the room as
students in other rows challenged him to blow the cups off
their heads.
Richard Emanual explains to students how a tornado forms with the use of a simulator.
One student summed up the lesson perfectly, “This was so
awesome and amazing, and I had fun learning!”
—Photo & text by Susann Robbins
Public Schools’ Chronicle December 2014 • 9
Event promotes literacy
Alta Vista celebrates parent involvement
In the Alta Vista Elementary library, parents and students listen to Principal Brenda Creel’s presentation about Title I schools.
C
risp autumn leaves
scattered across
the sidewalk,
crunching beneath parents’ and students’ feet as
they walked through Alta
Vista Elementary’s front
door. Inside the gym,
while families enjoyed
dinner, Principal Brenda
Creel stood up and welcomed everyone. She explained Taco John’s, Alta
Vista’s Adopt-A-School
partner, had provided
dinner.
“I’m so honored to
be here,” she said, then
introduced her Title I
team of teachers. Creel
explained they had helped
organize the event along
with several instructional
facilitators. “I have an
amazing staff,” she added.
“They are giving their
time tonight and we have
wonderful activities for
you. Thanks for being
here.”
At 6 p.m., families
trekked toward different
classrooms, depending on which activity
they wanted to attend
first. In the library, Creel
discussed Title I with
attendees. An educational
preschool presentation
was offered in one room.
In yet another room,
students could participate
in a read-aloud session
that included a fun dice
game. Staff in the computer lab helped students
and parents locate excellent elementary reading
websites.
In a second-grade classroom, the teacher engaged
students in an inferring
activity, which challenged
them to form opinions
and make assertions
based on facts. She played
a video clip of a Charlie
Chaplin silent film on the
SMART Board. Though
only strains of music
could be heard, boys and
girls seemed engrossed in
the man’s antics inside a
lion cage.
After pausing the clip,
the teacher asked, “Why
do you suppose the man
is tip toeing?”
“Because he doesn’t
want to disturb the lion in
the cage,” a boy suggested.
After running a bit
more of the clip, the
teacher asked, “Why is he
putting his hankie out of
the bars?”
“To try and get help,” a
girl said.
“That’s right,” the teacher said. “You just used
what you know about in
real life to decide that.”
In the kindergarten
room, a teacher explained to families what
the youngest Alta Vista
students are doing.
She said, “We learn a lot
of sounds and letters. We
study a sound a week and
write capital and lowercase letters that go with it.
Kids must know between
40 and 80 percent of
lowercase and uppercase
letters.”
In the story pit, a
representative from the
Laramie County Library
read, “The Gruffalo,” by
children’s author Julia
Donaldson. Students
giggled when she talked
about the gruffalo’s orange
eyes, its black tongue and
the purple prickles covering its back.
After she’d finished the
story, she told students,
“There are fun things
to do at the library and
there’s an entire floor
just for kids. There is a
play area and computers.
There’s even a teen section
for when you are older.
Programs are free every
month.”
More students and parents gathered in the music
room to learn about
brain-based activities.
The teacher explained:
“We are going to learn
about brain breaks, which
are ways to physically get
the body moving so your
brain can get engaged.
The human mind can only
stay on task for a short
amount of time. That’s
why doing exercise for a
minute or a minute and a
half makes a big difference.”
The parking lot game
required teams of two
people. One person was
to pretend to be a car
and one was to pretend
to be the car driver. The
person, or “car” in front
was required to close his
or her eyes.
“Don’t open your eyes,
put your hands out in
front and trust your driver,” the teacher instructed.
Laughter and excited
squeals filled the room.
“Look around and see
where you’re going,” a
father told his son as the
boy took over the steering
role.
“OK,” the boy eagerly
said.
Other games the families learned included toe
tag and how to create a
human knot with a group
of people by linking arms.
Families participated in
a rock, paper, scissors
Olympic event where
participants began in a
designated bronze area
and worked their way up
to a gold area. Another
game required two people
to stretch out on the floor,
then scoot a beanbag back
and forth between each
other, taking care not to
let the bag slide past their
hands.
“This is the second year
we’ve held a Family Literacy Night,” Creel said.
“So we’re a little more
organized and we had all
kinds of activities available. This helps parents
know what fun learning
games they can do with
their kids and also how to
help them learn.”
—Photo & text by
Cindy Keen Reynders
10 • December 2014
Public Schools’ Chronicle
Sculpture depicts South students’ aspirations
E
very student has hopes, dreams and
aspirations for what life will be like
after graduation. At South High
School, art students will get to memorialize their thoughts in a sculpture set to
adorn the roundabout in front of their
school.
“I just think it’s really neat that South
has this chance to allow our students
to have a voice,” South High art teacher
Mark Vinich said. “That doesn’t happen
every day so I think it’s a unique opportunity for them.”
According to Lynn Newman, Laramie
County School District 1 art coordinator,
the project came about due to broadbased community efforts. At the request
of her constituents, City Councilwoman
Annette Williams visited with Mayor Rick
Kaysen about beautifying the roundabout,
which is part of City property. Superintendent of Schools John Lyttle became
involved through Cheyenne’s Art in
Public Places Committee and approached
Newman to see if South High students
might be interested in contributing to the
concept.
On behalf of LCSD1 and South High,
Newman, Vinich and South art teacher
Michele Ragaglia decided to hire
Ashley Hope Carlisle, an art professor at
the University of Wyoming, as an artist
in residence to work with the students
in creating a sculpture for the City of
Cheyenne.
“We’ve been trying to make it known
to our students who are interested in art
that they really should check out UW,”
Newman said. “Ashley has rapport with
the students and she has the vision and
technical skills for this project.”
In October, Carlisle met with students
in an AP art class co-taught by Vinich and
Ragaglia to discuss the concept. Students
initially thought the sculpture should be
a bison to depict the school’s mascot. Yet,
Carlisle suggested it should be designed
with the entire south community in mind.
Branching off from the bison, she worked
with students to develop words to describe their defining characteristics. Using
seeds as a metaphor, students researched
and drew different types of plant life to
bring back to the next meeting.
“We want the sculpture to symbolize the
entire community,” Ragaglia said. “We’ve
had a lot of conversations with the kids
talking about how to make something
that represents who we are as a community and not just South High.”
The next time they visited with Carlisle,
students were prepared with a variety of
plant-life drawings. She also brought a
detailed sketch book depicting the beauty
of Salsify, a three-foot-tall dandelion native to Wyoming.
“There are 65 plumes in these dandelions,” Carlisle told the students. “Rather
than think of it as 65 weeds, I like to think
of it as 65 bushes and promise of where
these are going to go—the promise of you
as young adults and what you can do with
your lives.”
As she passed around a specimen, Carlisle explained this particular plant species
grows in every Wyoming county.
“What does the word seed mean?” she
asked. “It’s the beginning of something
that continues to develop. That’s you. You
have so much promise in the things that
are going to happen to you once you leave
here.”
Students developed drawings incorporating their dreams and aspirations to be
included as three-dimensional pods for
the sculpture. Ragaglia said the concept
has been discussed throughout art classes
at South and they even hope to approach
elementary students in the triad to contribute.
According to Newman, another meeting will be held with Mayor Kaysen and
it will include a presentation regarding
costs. Several community sponsors are in
the works to help pay for the piece and its
installation, which is tentatively slated to
occur this spring.
Lyttle said: “I’m excited about this project. It’s a great partnership between the
school district, city and local businesses.”
“It’s wonderful because it brings the
students together and gets them thinking
about who is our community including the businesses and people who live
around our school,” Ragaglia said. “It’s
making them more aware of what community means even outside of the high
school.”
Vinich added, along with art, the project involves math and language arts skills.
As Carlisle spoke with the students about
the logistics of creating and placing such
a large piece of art, she touched on many
problem-solving skills.
“She’s been a really good artist to work
with because she’s a teacher as well as an
artist,” Newman said. “She keeps bringing
them in both literally and figuratively. I
think it really represents this idea of hopes
and dreams and how we put the work into
making them come true.”
—Text by Mary Quast
Mayor Rick Kaysen and City Councilwoman Annette Williams listen to UW art professor Ashley Hope Carlisle’s concept to landscape the roundabout in front of South High School with a sculpture. The concept was developed with input from South High art students who will also provide
artwork for the piece. —Photo courtesy of Lynn Newman
Public Schools’ Chronicle December 2014 • 11
Tim Bolin, who is a member of the LCSD1 Board of Trustees, interacts with a student while volunteering in the Central High School Chief Morningstar Academy.
Morningstar Academy provides safety net for Central students
A
fter 33 years in the
classroom as an
English teacher,
Rodney Atkinson is now
in the unique position
of being able to show
students how to achieve
success.
As Director of Credit
Recovery for the Chief
Morningstar Academy,
Atkinson said he is able to
help students throughout
the year gain the credits
and skills necessary for
graduation, college and
careers.
“We’re here to advocate
for the kids,” Atkinson
said. “We get them what
they need to move on with
their life.”
Assistant Principal
Kristen Siegel explained
the academy is used to
help students gain credit
recovery. Some also use
it to enhance their grades
so they can better compete for scholarships and
college entrance. Other
students have used it as acceleration so they can take
more classes.
Atkinson and Siegel
explained students take
on-line courses through
Nova Net. They begin with
an exam that tests their
basic skills in reading,
writing and math. After
that, they are enrolled in
classes. Each class has 11
modules, and based on the
student’s pre-test score,
he or she will be placed in
the modules accordingly.
As they work through the
lessons, they’re required
to take notes as well as a
post-test. In order to move
to the next class they must
score 80 percent or higher
on the post-test.
“This allows students to
be more self-paced so they
can earn that credit toward
graduation,” Siegel said.
Siegel said students are
referred to the program by
teachers, counselors, parents and administrators.
Many are self-referred,
having heard about the
service by word-of-mouth.
Atkinson keeps track of
students’ progress and
enters their scores in the
grade book. Before they
begin, students meet with
Atkinson to develop a
learning roadmap, which
includes goals and timelines. A contract is sent
home, which parents must
sign.
He explained: “We keep
a lot of records. If kids
are falling off, I contact
parents. I’ll contact the
administrators and I chase
kids down. We try to give
them every opportunity
that we can in order for
them to be successful.”
Along with a slate of
core certified teachers
who tutor students during
their off hours, Atkinson said LCSD1 Board
Member Tim Bolin has
spent many hours helping
students with math. After
retirement, Bolin, who
taught math at McCormick Junior High School
for 30 years, served as a
substitute teacher, which
he said was something he
enjoyed. However, board
policy states trustees cannot be paid by the district,
which is why he decided
to volunteer tutor at the
academy.
“I certainly missed
teaching when I knew that
I wasn’t going to be able
to do that anymore,” Bolin
said. “This still gives me
an opportunity to help
students with math, which
is something that I’ve
enjoyed doing throughout
my career.”
Atkinson and Siegel said
another service offered
through the academy is
ACT test preparation. Atkinson also proctors tests
students miss due to classroom absence. The academy is open after school
through Extended Day
funds and is open during
summer school. Finally,
special Christmas Break
and Spring Break tutoring sessions are offered to
help students catch up on
school work with the help
of certified teachers.
“It’s been amazing for
me to see how many students actually get help to
graduate by going through
this program,” Bolin said.
“I’ve seen several students
that probably would not
have been going across the
stage on time if we didn’t
have this program available for them. I think it
is helping our graduation
rate.”
Siegel said from August
2013 to July 2014, students
completed 298 classes for
a success rate of 79 percent
completion. She said Atkinson continues to strive
to improve that.
“I’m really proud of my
students,” Atkinson said.
“They come in and they’re
all young adults. They
sit down and they work
diligently; they really are
success-oriented.”
—Photo & text by
Mary Quast
12 • December 2014
Public Schools’ Chronicle
Henderson students give back to community, fellow students
‘T
is the season for family, presents
and spreading Christmas cheer.
The holidays are some of the
most anticipation-filled days of the year
as children make wish lists. Parents and
teachers strive to make our children understand there is more to the season than
just receiving a multitude of presents. It
is about spreading kindness and thinking
about those less fortunate.
“During this time of the year I always
like to do a community service project
with my students,” fifth-grade teacher Paul
Hartigan said. “This year we decorated
and filled bags for the Friday Food Bag
Foundation.”
In prior years, his fifth-grade classes
have done nickel drives. Last year the
students sent care packages to Wyoming
National Guard troops deployed in Afghanistan.
“It was time to do something new and
because of my prior involvement with Friday Food Bags the decision was in a sense
personal,” Hartigan said.
Hartigan’s daughter, once a Cheyenne
extreme basketball player, volunteered
with her team to fill bags.
Hartigan said he always wants to be
more involved with the community and he
expressed the importance of doing so with
his students.
“Friday Food Bag Foundation started
in 2007 as a Holland & Hart Foundation project,” said Foundation President
Dayle Petrillo. “Thanks to the generosity
of individuals, firm clients, civic clubs and
churches, it grew to 125 bags per week
within a year.”
In 2010, the foundation became a 501
(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Friday Food
Bags concentrates on students who receive
free- or reduced-price lunches in LCSD1
and LCSD2 as this demographic has the
most food insecurity on the weekends,
Petrillo said. The foundation receives
support from the community in many
ways, including one little boy, who asks for
donations to Friday Food Bags instead of
receiving birthday presents.
“Recently, Friday Food Bags has been
awarded grants in the amounts of $8,000,
$10,000 and $50,000,” Petrillo said. “Because of this we are now able to distribute
over 800 bags per week compared to the
530 bags we have been doing so far.”
The generous donations and grants
prompted the installment of an endowment fund so the money grows, which
ensures the continuation of the program
during lean times, Petrillo added.
“I remember when the bags first came to
the school. Students receiving them were
worried what their peers might think,”
Hartigan said. “Now, the kids look forward
to them.”
The students’ involvement with the
foundation not only ties into the holiday
season but also into the classroom. They
have to keep a thankful journal throughout
the months of November and December,
Hartigan said. On a daily basis, students
wrote in their journals three things they
are thankful for, and they had to describe
one item in detail.
“Community service, being involved
with the community and being aware of
what is going on are also topics discussed
in social studies,” added Hartigan’s teaching partner, fifth-grade teacher Angel
Decker.
Henderson Principal Karen BrooksLyons supported the undertaking as well,
Hartigan said.
“One of our goals here at Henderson
is to give back to the community and I
believe this will cement what we have been
teaching,” Brooks-Lyons said.
Brooks-Lyons said she hopes the students will take away a sense of pride and
ownership from the bag filling, because
they have been part of something that not
only helps the community but also their
fellow students.
“It is just a part of teaching that no matter what situation you are in, you learn
to be grateful,” Brooks-Lyons said. “And
always remember to reach back and help
someone else, because it could be you.”
—Photos & text by Susann Robbins
Henderson Elementary fifth-graders decorated and filled bags for the Friday Food Bag Foundation.
Public Schools’ Chronicle December 2014 • 13
Hebard students embrace Wyoming
L
earning social studies with splashes
of language arts, geography and art
delivers a unique experience. Fortunately, Amy Mullins’ Hebard Elementary
fourth-grade students were able to experience exactly that when they participated in
a two-day “We Are Wyoming” unit.
On the first day, boys and girls watched a
slide show that featured Wyoming landscapes, cities, historical sites and characters.
Before heading out on their field trip that
afternoon, Mullins gave students journals
and sketchbooks in which they could record
their observations.
Mullins said: “The students went to the
Capitol, toured the main level and ate lunch
on the front lawn. While observing the
building, they sketched the architecture and
discussed the building’s significance.”
The class traveled next to the Old West
Museum where they viewed antique
wagons and other regional artifacts. Upon
returning to their classroom, classmates created their own oversized Laramie County
quarters. The children’s free-hand adornments on the cardboard cutouts featured
typical Wyoming images such as cowboy
boots, the railroad and the bucking horse
image.
On the second day, students reviewed
their journals and answered questions
about highlights they had seen. They
examined contemporary Wyoming artists’
paintings and wrote down their impressions. They studied portraits of historical
characters, read their biographies, and
offered impressions about their lives. Additionally, they discussed noteworthy events
from Wyoming history.
After lunch, students selected Wyoming
geographic features, historical characters or
buildings to sketch and embellish with colored pencils and crayons. Subject matter included Heart Mountain Relocation Center,
the Oregon Trail and Yellowstone National
Park. As students completed their work,
Mullins prompted them to write statements
that would accompany their drawings.
“I’m having fun,” a boy said as he worked
on his illustration. “I’ve learned a lot of
things about Chief Washakie. His dad died
when he was a little kid when a Blackfoot
tribe attacked his village.”
“I liked learning about Sacagawea,” a girl
said. “When she was 2 years old, her and a
few other girls were kidnapped by another
tribe that sold her to a French Canadian
trapper.”
“We did quite a bit over the course of two
days,” Mullins explained. “This has offered
a lot of hands-on learning and engaged the
students. I think every kid in here can tell
you something about Laramie County.”
She credited Allen Trent, a University of
Wyoming College of Education professor,
for putting the curriculum together.
“This group of students is so kinesthetic
that this has been a really good learning
activity,” Mullins said. “And Mr. Trent has
been in the classroom helping me execute
the lessons.”
“My colleague, Pete Moran and I, are
both elementary education guys,” Trent
said. “Since state testing seems focused on
language arts and math, in some schools,
kids aren’t getting a lot of art or social studies education. So Pete and I created the ‘We
Are Wyoming,’ unit, hoping that melding
the different subjects together would be
beneficial to students.”
Trent said he received a Lantz Professorship Award from the University of Wyoming’s Cultural Trust fund, which covers
the costs of his travel and class materials.
Since he is on sabbatical from the college
for a year, he plans to visit one fourth-grade
classroom in each of Wyoming’s 23 counties. Amy Mullins’ Laramie County class is
the fifth one he has visited so far.
“We plan to post all of our lesson plans on
our Google website,” Trent said, emphasizing he and Moran had worked to align the
material with both Wyoming State and
Common Core Standards. “We envision
this as being a resource site for teaching
about Wyoming.”
“It has been great to have Mr. Trent visit,”
Mullins added. “All of this information is on
his website, which will wind up being a resource for other teachers. And we can sure
use more resources for Wyoming history.”
The “We Are Wyoming” website includes
lesson plans, teaching materials, and a
student work gallery that includes students’
work organized by county. https://sites.
google.com/site/wearewyo/
—Photo & text by Cindy Keen Reynders
14 • December 2014
Public Schools’ Chronicle
Baggs Elementary principal builds
relationships, parent involvement
B
aggs Elementary Principal Brooke Kelly, a native of South Dakota, is brand new to
Laramie County School District 1. She brings with her 15 years as an educator and
eight years as an elementary school principal.
Kelly received her bachelor’s degree in elementary education and special education
from Black Hills State University in Spearfish, South Dakota. She earned her master’s
degree in education leadership from the University of Alaska in Anchorage, Alaska.
“I have felt like it is Christmas morning several times since I started working in this
district,” Kelly said. “Many people are willing to help and in general they are really
friendly.”
Further, Kelly noted how much smaller the student population at Baggs is compared to
her school in Alaska.
“We have a couple hundred students less here,” she said.
Kelly is using this advantage to get to know students and their parents on a more
personal level. Her overall goal is to create a sense of ownership on the parents’ part when
it comes to getting more involved with the Baggs community and their students’ learning.
Baggs’ year started off with professional development taught by Solution Tree, focusing
on professional learning communities.
Kelly said: “We have been working on strengthening our learning communities. In
return, we hope to improve the student achievement in our building.”
She added: “Baggs has a solid foundation in learning and the way the staff works together. Now it is time to look at what works and what doesn’t in order to bring the school
further along.”
Kelly and her staff strive to instill the love of reading into their students. One way they
are doing this is by handing out and reading the book “Have you filled a bucket today?”
by Carol McCloud.
“The book talks about kindness in a way the kids really get,” Kelly said. “They can picture a bucket and it is either full or empty.”
Being a bucket filler is all about being nicer and kinder to each other, Kelly explained.
Students strive to make a difference at home, in school or in their community.
“It ties into our Olweus program and being kind to each other,” she said.
Brooke Kelly, Baggs Elementary principal, said, “I am looking forward to a great year and building lasting relationships with my staff,
students and their parents.”
The learning curve for Kelly started with the registration process and keeps on going
with the upcoming accreditation process for the schools as well as the district. She credits
her staff, other principals and administrators’ willingness to help and answer her questions as the main reason for her ability to adjust rather seamlessly.
“I think I also was able to adjust faster because I was able to spend extra time on really
learning things and getting them settled,” Kelly said. “The extra time comes from having
an empty nest.”
Kelly refers to her daughter Payton, who opted to stay in Alaska to attend school there.
Kelly and her husband moved to Cheyenne and brought their German Shepherd as well
as their Harley motorcycles along. Whenever possible during the summer the two rode
their bikes and enjoyed the wide-open Wyoming countryside.
“I still have a lot to learn but it is just nice to have a smaller, more neighborhood type of
feeling to this school,” Kelly said. “I am looking forward to a great year and building lasting relationships with my staff, students and their parents.” —Photo & text by
Susann Robbins
Public Schools’ Chronicle December 2014 • 15
Caring faculty help
East students with
necessities year-round
C
haritable activities wrap us all with warmth this time of the year. Angel trees,
mitten trees and food collections abound. People flock to help those less fortunate and are happy to do so. However, while the holiday food boxes and festively
wrapped presents are appreciated, individuals still have everyday needs once the tinsel
and shiny decorations have been taken down and put away.
At East High School, however, the ghost of Christmas present lives year round.
From a tiny office next to the biology lab comes a mighty effort to feed and care for
students who often lack life’s necessities. Biology teacher Ann Zumo and chemistry
teacher Jennifer Merriam maintain the East Cares Pantry. Laundry detergent, toothpaste, floss, deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, socks and lotion are just a few personal
items that line the shelves.
Hungry students who need something for breakfast can choose things like fruit cups
or granola bars. For lunch, they can choose instant Ramen noodles, microwave macaroni and cheese or something else quick and nutritional. Other students who simply
need a few groceries for meals at home may choose things like cornflakes and oatmeal,
peanut butter, pancake mix and syrup.
The program has been around for approximately 10 years, and Zumo said East High
staff members generously donate items or money, which keeps the pantry stocked. She
also credits the Cheyenne community for aiding the cause.
“We had big help from Echostar this year. My church, Saints Constantine and Helen,
helped stock our shelves at the beginning of the year and they continue to hold food
drives. Many community members have dropped off money. That’s great because we
deposit it in an account and use the funds to replenish.”
Zumo, who took over the program from East teacher Tom Bradley, said many of these
students are experiencing family circumstances that require them to live in local motels.
Some are even “couch surfing,” moving from one friend’s house to another.
The needs of these students vary, she said. She has purchased snow boots and shoes
for kids who must walk to school. Coats, mittens, pants and shirts are frequently requested items.
Zumo said: “We’ve announced the program on the school TV station and we’ve put
up fliers around the hallways so hungry students know where to come. Sadly, some of
these kids’ families have filled out applications for the district’s free- and reduced-lunch
program, but they don’t qualify. Often, they may not even qualify for the other available
programs that would help. They simply fall between the cracks.”
Shaking her head, Zumo mentioned a boy and his sister whose parents left them alone
without any money or food. Fortunately, the pantry provided for them until the family
returned.
“It’s pretty alarming parents would do that,” she commented.
Zumo said approximately four to five students a week request help from the pantry,
and no questions are asked. When students make requests, Zumo said she and Merriam
do their best to identify those truly in need.
“This year, the Friday Food Bag Foundation will be able to help high school students
and we’ve incorporated that into our program,” Zumo said. “Students that belong to
various East High groups like National Honor Society, IB, FFA and AVID have volunteered to fill bags. The bags are handed out each Friday and that will benefit East High’s
needy students.”
Zumo walked past a brightly illuminated Charlie Brown Christmas tree as she entered the biology lab. Instead of beakers, test tubes and microscopes covering the tables,
presents and food boxes tumbled across the expanse. She said Jerrae Restivo from East’s
Spirit Office has been handling holiday requests and items have been pouring in.
“We kind of took over the prep area,” Zumo said with a grin. “We have 291 gifts going out to students in addition to food and personal care boxes. We write the kids’ gift
requests on an ornament and put them in the faculty lounge. Faculty members take
ornaments and return the items. Students help wrap the gifts, then we call the families
and they pick them up or we deliver them. We always maintain confidentiality.”
Biology teacher Ann Zumo organizes nonperishable food items in the East Cares Pantry.
Zumo said they also prepare food boxes at Thanksgiving, Easter and at the end of the
school year.
“It’s a small group of people coordinating this program, but we work well together.
And we know somebody’s got to do it.”
—Photo & text by Cindy Keen Reynders
16 • December 2014
Public Schools’ Chronicle
Officer Manny Fardella proudly stands in front of his achievement wall in his Johnson Junior High office.
Johnson SRO Fardella receives recognition
“T
here can be no greater
honor than to protect and
serve the youth of our
nation.” —Wyoming School Resource
Officers Association
This statement is not only true for
the statewide organization of school
resource officers but it also applies to
the officers serving in Laramie County
School District 1.
“School resource officers (SROs) have
been a vital part of the school culture
for more than 20 years,” said Dave Adams, who served as Facilities and Risk
Management Administrator and now
acts as a consultant for the district.
“After a few years [following implementation], the building principals got
to the point where they would rather
give up their left arm than to give up
their school resource officer,” Adams
said.
“The officers command respect from
the students,” Sgt. Howard Smith, the
current LCSD1 SRO supervisor, added.
Presently there are school resource
officers at all junior high and high
schools as well as a sergeant overseeing this small force of officers, Smith
explained.
LCSD1 pays the wages for the officers
nine months of the year and the Cheyenne Police Department pays the other
three. The police department also
pays for police vehicles. SROs receive
specialized training for their position,
which is given through the Wyoming
School Resources Officers Association
as well as its national entity, Smith
said.
“It is clear that we are law enforcement in the schools, but we are also
teaching and counseling the kids,”
Smith added.
SRO duties extend beyond regular
school day as they try to attend many
sports events, dances and other activities within their school communities.
Further, each of the officers is assigned
to a certain number of elementary
schools where they work with the
principals and the staff, Adams said.
But their work doesn’t end after school
lets out. The Cheyenne Police Department sends them wherever the kids
are during the summer, for example,
Cheyenne Frontier Days, the mall and
Super Day.
“The interactions between the
schools and the police department are
very tight and we are very fortunate
in our district, because other districts
don’t have this,” Smith said.
LCSD1’s SRO program is striving to
be one of the model programs in the
nation and its officers are part of this,
Smith added.
One of these officers is Manny
Fardella, who received the 2014 Wyoming School Resource Officer of the
Year Award this past summer. Officer
Fardella is the SRO for Johnson Junior
High. Fardella is in his fourth year
as an SRO, and he has 13 years in law
enforcement.
“My personality fits into the school
setting and this is something I always
wanted to do,” Fardella said. “After
high school I had to decide between
education and law enforcement. I
chose law enforcement and this way I
get to do both.”
Fardella said his role within the
school is widespread between law enforcement, teaching in the classrooms
and instructing programs important
to students and their families. He
credits the administration of the police
department, the school district and administration at Johnson for his award,
because without all parts working together, it would not have been possible.
“Manny is a great part of our mission to make this program a model
program for the nation,” Smith said.
“You can ask any of the SROs working
in LCSD1. We would readily give our
lives for our students and staff because
this is the best job in the world.”
—Photo & text by Susann Robbins
Public Schools’ Chronicle December 2014 • 17
Partners in Learning
Parents embrace quality family time to promote learning
P
lay games with your children.
Read to them. Talk to them and
really listen to what they say. These
activities cost nothing; but the return is
priceless because it opens pathways of
communication.
Principal Cara Pruter and her staff at
Fairview/Lebhart Elementary are promoting the idea of quality family time.
For the past two years, they have held
Partners in Learning evenings to help
parents and students enjoy the benefits of
spending time together.
Squeals of childish delight mingled
with parents’ voices echoed through
the Lebhart gym during the November
Partners in Learning night. Students
and families sat at cafeteria tables, bingo
cards placed before them. As a Lebhart
staff member called out numbers, folks,
young and old, got busy marking spaces
with crayons. Parents helped younger
children who were still learning their
numbers.
Once the bingo games ended, families
lined up to get their dinner, which Fairview/Lebhart Adopt-A-School partner
Taco John’s had provided. While people
ate, another staff member called out the
names of the lucky bingo winners.
One by one, boys and girls went up to
receive their prizes. Wearing huge grins,
they walked away clutching family board
games such as, Beat the Parents, Guess
Who?, Scrabble, Hedbanz, Boggle and
Bananagrams. Each game featured strategizing, spelling and memory skills.
One parent commented, “These nights
are great to learn how to teach our kids
while we’re doing things together.”
A boy said: “I like the dinners best.”
“I like finding out how to keep learning
things when I’m at home,” a girl added
and her mother nodded in agreement.
Pruter explained the purpose behind
Fairview/Lebhart Elementary’s Partners
in Learning events is to bring parents
into the schools and engage them with
their children. Families see what their
students are learning while being exposed to the curriculum.
“Typically we pick a focus for every
Partners in Learning night,” Pruter said,
noting the events rotate back and forth
between both Fairview and Lebhart
gyms. “Tonight is more of a difficult
concept, and it’s the first time we’ve done
this. We hope to help parents learn how
to engage their children with language
development through the use of games.”
Fairview-Lebhart Elementary offered family games for bingo prizes on Family Literacy Night.
Pruter explained in addition to playing bingo with the families, teachers
discussed how parents can practice
language used while playing common
board games and during other activities
to develop their children’s communication skills.
“The door prizes are games that rely
on language usage,” Pruter said. “Lots of
parents sit down and play games with
their kids but don’t always realize what
a learning opportunity that can be when
they’re just having fun. Often board
games expand children’s knowledge base
and skill level.”
By holding these nights, Pruter hopes
parents also discover ways to help their
kids learn through everyday activities
they do together.
“The learning process can continue at
home and parents can offer their help,”
Pruter added. “It doesn’t always have to
be that drudgery of sitting and doing
homework.”
According to Pruter, on average, about
100 parents attend the events. Based
on the success of last year, Fairview/
Lebhart’s staff chose to continue it this
year. She said last May the event included
a parent survey with a questionnaire
asking for feedback on ideas about future
Partners in Learning events.
“The feedback was positive across the
board,” Pruter said. “We didn’t receive any
negative feedback. Every parent who took
the survey wanted the nights to continue.
They offered us ideas on how to change it
and keep it interesting.”
For example, parents requested that the
school schedule the nights at a consistent
date and time every month. Pruter said
they decided to hold it on the 15th or
as close to that as possible in case that
day falls on a weekend. Based on parent
feedback, one of their recent Partners
in Learning nights featured a science
activity, which Pruter said was a huge hit.
The school has incorporated other parent
suggestions into the school’s Partners in
Learning nights for the rest of the year.
“The kids get excited about these and
are excited to come,” Pruter said. “They
look forward to it every month as do the
parents.”
Art teacher Megan John said: “It’s really
helped in the past couple of years to create
parent involvement at all of our events.
It’s really awesome. It’s exciting to see so
many parents and teachers coming and
being involved.”
—Photo & text by Cindy Keen Reynders
18 • December 2014
Public Schools’ Chronicle
Participants provide feedback at State of the District meeting
Participants provide feedback during a small-group session following LCSD1 Superintendent John Lyttle’s State of the District presentation.
D
uring last month’s State of the
District address, community
members learned more about
Laramie County School District 1’s
student performance from Superintendent John Lyttle. They also had a chance
to provide feedback during small-group
breakout sessions.
Those who were unable to attend the
presentation can view the information on the
district website, www.laramie1.org. Documents and a video of the entire presentation
are posted.
In addition, Lyttle has presented the information at other meetings throughout the
community including the Greater Cheyenne
Chamber of Commerce and Cheyenne
Rotary Club. The goal is to reach as many
community members as possible with the
information.
During the breakout sessions, participants
were asked to discuss four questions. A summary of the feedback that was provided is
listed below.
Question 1: Laramie County School
District 1 has a goal for all students to graduate college or career ready. Based on Mr. Lyttle’s
presentation, what do you see as positives and
areas we may need to focus on?
• Participants are happy with the increased
academic expectations and rigor.
• They are concerned about attendance,
transitions and graduation.
• They are concerned about what they see
as a “speed bump” with higher education
including dual enrollment and concurrent
enrollment as well as AP and IB offerings.
• Community was mentioned throughout
the discussion. Many comments centered on
parent involvement, additional conferences
and making sure kids are ready for school.
Question 2: How can we as a community
support students to graduate from high school?
(District, parents, students community)
• Attendance is important to making this
happen.
• Businesses may not support kids when it
comes to working student-friendly hours.
• Parental involvement is important.
• Business involvement in providing
students with relevant activities is important.
Ideas included internships and volunteer
opportunities.
• Sometimes, parents, businesses, etc., need
to be invited into the schools.
Question 3: What suggestions do you have
regarding ways to engage our community in
our schools?
• Some of the ideas for community
involvement centered around events like
potluck dinners, open gym, and other events
that utilize the school as a hub.
• Engage the neighborhood in things that
directly engage the students in learning such
as reading nights, math nights, offering tutors, etc.
• Create more parent commitment
through contracts and also maintain parent
involvement from kindergarten through 12th
grade.
• Two-way community communication
is important. Communication out to the
community in a consistent fashion through
Infinite Campus is also a key.
• Communicate some of the resources
available.
• Be proactive and positive with our
message being focused on our mission and
vision.
Question 4: What is something you wish
we would have shared or discussed that could
be a topic for a future time?
• Participants wanted to know more about
visioning such as the five- to 10-year plan
and long-term vision for the district, including lifelong learning.
• More information on Olweus bullying
prevention program data would be helpful.
• Participants wanted more information
on how parents and community can get
involved with the schools and the district.
What are some innovative ways we can use
this involvement?
• More information was requested on
Pre-K and kindergarten readiness. Participants also had questions on how the Title I
preschool program could be expanded.
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
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Stheof District
2014
LARAMIE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT 1